The best dressed in the region

TEN THAI DESIGNERS set out last week to win over fashion fans in all corners of the newly formed Asean Economic Community while simultaneously strengthening Thailand’s position as a fashion hub with a showcase of outfits, separates and accessories for the coming spring and summer at a downtown mall.
The designers, all members of the Bangkok Fashion Society, took over the Greyhound Cafe at EmQuartier for an extravaganza on the theme “Bangkok Based Asean Best”.
Polpat Asavaprapa, the chief of BFS and founder of member label Asava, told XP he was confident that Thai brands would flourish in the AEC.
“We feel it is important to get in the front door and make sure our brands are known throughout Asean. We are working together to create a BFS fashion concept and style that will demonstrate the potential of Thai fashion design to the world and help us become the design leaders of the Asean region. For that, we need strong support from both the government and the Thai people. The value of the Thai design concept and the elaborate production, from selecting fabrics to controlling the quality of tailor-made garments, needs to be promoted continually,” he says.
Member labels Asava, Vickteerut, Greyhound Original, Milin, Issue, Kloset, Painkiller, Playhound by Greyhound, Tutti & Tutti Frutti and Senada all took part in last week’s showings, which although broadly divided into three main styles, took nothing away from the individuality of each brand.
The clothes in the “Alive” category came with a strong sense of energy with colourful patterns and flower prints heralding the arrival of summer. “Yesterday” brought back happy memories of the past, with outfits sporting a retro feel while fashions in the “Strong” category focused on individuality with details and silhouettes different from other seasonal trends.
Designers drew heavily on both artworks and regional culture, serving up a rich palette of colours that were roughly divided into three categories. “Spring Garden” encompassed the soft pastel hues of yellow, blue and pink and the gentle green of freshly cut grass; “Summer Vibes” bowed to the heat of an April day in bright and bold purple, orange and blue; while “Opposite Attraction” played with contrasts, mixing black with white and warm tones with cool ones.
Miniskirts and shorts were out in full, all the better to showcase long tanned legs, and several of the minidresses sported a fun flare towards the hem that added a feminine look. Tops revealed bare shoulders, some cut with a boat-neck and others merely strapless, with jackets worn loosely over cropped tops revealing slim midriffs.
Aside from quality and value for money, the BFS brands are also well known for their distinctive details. And here again they didn’t disappoint with prints emphasising the island culture, nature and animals of the tropics along with tailor-made outfits with an elegant cut that revealed glimpses of skin. Sheer and transparent fabrics like lace, organza and chiffon, all ideal for the summer climate, were very much in evidence on the catwalk, paired with bolder materials covered in intense graphic designs.
For the men, the designers opted for a cool “Culture Camp” look, combining styles for work and leisure with a touch of the military for a laid-back feel.
Donning his designer hat, Polpat said the ladies should opt for a soft look for summer with careful cutting allowing them to reveal a little skin while remaining demure. Guys, he suggested, would do well to mix and match, combining a casual camping style with a sophisticated look, or matching it with sporty separates for a more relaxed demeanour.
Milin Yuwajarassakul, designer of Milin, played with her favourite black, white and grey, juxtaposing them with metallic gold and silver and pairing them with pastel pink, fuchsia, turquoise, lemon and violet for a multifaceted feminine look in her “Myth Universe” collection. Using an unexpected mix of high and low hemlines, Milin delivered a fresh take on classic shapes from mini and mid-calf dresses, evening dresses, tops and mini skirts to bohemian flared pants, introducing flat gladiator sandals to balance out the modern, futuristic look with a playful edge.
Kloset’s “Woman on the Moon” Collection, which was inspired by the work of artist Paul Gauguin, reinterpreted patterns, textures and palettes with deep colours like maroon and mustard combined with violet, green, beige and light blue. Traditional island prints got a modern makeover and a swallow also made an appearance, as a symbol to encourage those who have a dream to spread their wings.
Issue, meanwhile, focused on cultural diversity with a “Peranakan” collection inspired by the Chinese and Malayu heritage with mixed prints for the ladies and flowing coats for the men. Bhubawit "Roj" Kritpholnara, Issue’s founder and designer, paid tribute to Asian beauty through collage and resin work finely hand-stitched on dresses to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Senada went whimsical for its “Into the Woods” collection working with two themes – the great outdoors and sophisticated indoors. The collection featured Senada’s usual splash of vintage charm, with ’60s and ’70s-inspired A-line silhouettes, knee length to floor length skirts, cute day dresses, elegant accordion pleat details, ruffles, peter pan lace collars, smocked cuffs and flowing circular skirts. Extravagant fabrics and techniques like tweed, lace trimmings, crochet and delicate flower embroideries were extensively incorporated with sheer and silky materials, adding a sensual edge to an otherwise sophisticated set.
Playhound brought summer vibes to its “Cut Outs” collection, mimicking the technique of artist Henri Matisse to give the clothes a fun feel. Silhouettes were comfortable and easy to mix and match with the separates featuring everything from a bomber jacket, jumpsuit, sweater and hoodie jacket to sports bikinis, cropped tops, mini dresses and bathrobes. The menswear was given surfer attitude with colourful bandanas, sweat pants, swimming trunks, Hawaiian shirts and plenty of denim.
Linen, cotton, light knits and rayon were the fabrics of choice and these were often given a sporty edge through the addition of mesh and jersey. Here again, the colour palette boasted vibrant reds, greens and blues tempered by pastel blue, pink and yellow.
For its part, sister brand Greyhound drew on David Hockney’s work for its collection “Summer Art”. An independent line of waves in one of Hockney’s signature pools was used as the main graphic to represent freedom and relaxation and overlaid with prints, embroidery and pleats.